Okami Amaterasu
by Crystal Dragon's Lament
Summary: A novelization of the Okami video game from Amaterasu's POV. 100 years ago, a great beast besieged the land of Nippon, spreading evil and darkness in its wake. Through the heroic efforts of the warrior Nagi and the white wolf Shiranui,... Rest inside


**Title:** Okami Amaterasu

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Okami, the characters or even the storyline. Anyone who thinks I do should probably seek some professional help.

**Summary:** 100 years ago, a great beast besieged the land of Nippon, spreading evil and darkness in its wake. Through the heroic efforts of the warrior Nagi and the white wolf Shiranui, the beast Orochi was defeated. Shiranui died from her wounds sustained in battle, but her legend lived on. Now the great beast has been revived and the great goddess Amaterasu, Shiranui reborn, must return to the land of Nippon to once again rid it of evil. However, more than just Orochi seek to mastermind the goddess' downfall, and still weak from her 100 year slumber, this will not only be a fight for her life, but a fight for the lives of all the people of Nippon.

**A/N:** Yes, I know, I should be concentrating on the stories I already have going, but I couldn't help myself XD I'm a huge fan of this game and just had to write a novelization. I will be following the game pretty religiously, and I don't intend to cut anything out. I may add a few lines of dialogue when things get a little slow, and I won't be doing many of the side quests (like the snowball game) but this should be pretty accurate. I won't be adding things like stray beads or the clovers or sun fragments or things like that but all the main things like weapons and what not will stay in the story. Since I will be writing up the entire game, if you haven't played the game and don't wish to have anything spoiled, don't read this fic, as it will contain spoilers, obviously. Well, enjoy!

Part One: The Eight Headed Serpent and the Goddess of the Sun

Chapter One: The Great Goddess Reborn

_Long, long ago a tiny hamlet known as Kamiki lay nestled in a grove of proud and beautiful cherry blossoms. Each and every tree around the quiet burg was honored as a god. However, the village was not without its dark secrets. To satiate the appetite of Orochi, a fearsome cave-dwelling beast, a young maiden was offered as a sacrifice at the annual festival. With a body like a mountain and eight heads mounted on necks the size of tree trunks, its blood-red eyes alone were said to curse anyone who gazed into them. No one dared disobey the horrific beast. _

_When the night of the sacrifice drew near a mysterious white wolf appeared outside the village. This wolf, its coat as brilliant as snow, was dubbed Shiranui. The wolf kept a watchful eye on anyone who ventured outside the village, and made a habit of patrolling the streets at night. People assumed the wolf to be a familiar of Orochi. _

_One villager took it upon himself to face the fearsome Shiranui. The warrior Nagi attempted many times to challenge the wolf. But his attempts were thwarted by Shiranui's swift movements. _

_Before long, the night of the accursed festival had arrived. A white plumed arrow heralded the coming sacrifice. Piercing the sky, the arrow sunk its shaft squarely into the home of Nami, the village's most beautiful maiden. Nagi, harbouring a secret love for Nami, was enraged by this sign. Determined to put an end to Orochi once and for all, Nagi travelled to the beast's cave in place of his beloved. _

_The Moon Cave, a place as dark as evil itself, served as Orochi's home. As Nagi stood bravely before the entrance a beast appeared, eyes glowing crimson upon eight thrashing necks. Orochi stood tall before him, anxious for another sacrifice. Nagi leapt with incredible grace, swinging his blade valiantly. On and on he sliced, well into the moonless night but Orochi's hide was like steel. The blade left nary a scratch. _

_At long last, Nagi, his energy spent from the intense battle, dropped to his knees, fatigued and gasping for breath. He knew he was staring death in the face. It was then that the wolf appeared. As if to protect Nagi, it stood its ground before Orochi. In the darkness of the cave, the wolf's coat shone brilliantly. Alas, it was Shiranui, the wolf that dwelled outside the village. Baring its fearsome claws, Shiranui leapt toward Orochi. Orochi reared its terrifying heads, readying its fangs for battle. The two beasts struggled wildly, thrashing in the darkness. _

_Mysterious and terrifying, the spectacle continued. Shiranui summoned gusts of divine wind to counter Orochi's flames. _

_As Orochi closed in on Shiranui, sharpened claws glistening a gigantic tree suddenly sprouted forth, shielding the wolf. Shiranui fought gallantly to gain the upper hand. However Orochi, protected by a mystical power, was not easily bested. Shiranui, covered in gashes, majestic coat dyed crimson, stood exhausted before the mighty Orochi. _

_Orochi saw a chance to strike what would be the final blow. But Shiranui refused to give in. With its last ounce of strength, the majestic wolf gazed heavenward and unleashed a mighty howl. Suddenly, the black clouds overhead dissipated. The light from above glinted off Nagi's sword as a beacon of hope. _

_Guided by his sword, Nagi, who had been taking shelter in the shadows, stood proudly to face his adversary. Channelling all his strength into his scarred and battered arms, he leapt ferociously toward Orochi, his sword poised high. The golden sword danced in his hands like a puppet on a string. One by one, Orochi's fearsome heads separated from their owner. _

_Orochi's broken body collapsed in a lake of its own blood. In that instant, the curse that plagued the villagers was lifted. As the battle subsided, the sun shone once again in the sky. Shiranui had succumbed to Orochi's poison and struggled to breathe. Nagi scooped the beast into his arms and returned to Kamiki. _

_When they reached the village, Shiranui was no longer moving. The village elder gently stroked the wolf's head. In response, Shiranui let out a hoarse and pitiful bark then closed its eyes and drifted off as if into slumber. _

_Peace had at last returned to Kamiki Village. In honour of Shiranui's heroic exploits, the villagers erected a shrine and placed a statue of the wolf within it. _

_Nagi's sword was christened "Tsukuyomi" and placed inside the Moon Cave. The villagers all looked forward to an age of endless peace. _

_However, this is not the end of the story. There is more to this tale than most people know. one hundred years had passed since Nagi and Shiranui's heroic exploits. It happened so quickly that no one in the village even took notice._

Within the Moon Cave, an unknown man hidden within the shadows approached the sword Tsukuyomi where it lay enshrined. "Is this the legendary sword?" the man mumbled to himself as he stood before the blade. "Is this Tsukuyomi, the sword that banished the dreaded Orochi?" He stared at it in contempt a moment before placing his hands on the hilt. "No... it couldn't be. It's just a legend... Nothing but a fairy tale!"

Shaking with fury, he pulled the sword from the ground. Suddenly a tremor racked the cave and eight sets of glowing eyes began to swirl around the man. Still shaking, though this time in fear, he dropped the sword and looked around in terror. A swirling aura of evil erupted from the hole the sword had made in the ground. A second tremor shook the cave, sending the man tumbling backwards. Turning around, he began to scurry away and ran out of the cave. His trembling getting the better of him, he stumbled and fell. Turning over, he looked up as one ferocious head with evil glowing eyes began to speak to him.

"O, he who seeks power... He who has broken my bonds..." he rasped, voice thick and deep. "Speak the words, 'I wish darkness unto the world.' Utter that prayer unto me, and unleash my power." The man stared up in terror before standing and fleeing the Moon Cave. One head, the one who seemed to be in the lead, roared as the man tried to flee. He ran without looking back as the eight heads of the beast, shrouded in an aura of its own evil, pursued him eagerly.

As the man reached the entrance of the shrine, all eight heads reared and roared their ill-intent to the heavens, and its evil began to spread over the land. The curse the beast had unleashed began to rend apart the nature, plunging the world into misery. Overhead, an inky darkness blotted out the sun, seeming to put an end to all hope.

_A horrible tragedy suddenly swept over the land. However, there was one village that seemed to escape the terrible curse. The tiny settlement of Kamiki Village enjoyed the protection of a sacred tree. It is here that the real story begins._

In Kamiki village near the sacred tree that stood watch, the statue of Shiranui stood in the midst of swirling rubble and evil. Suddenly a boulder flew out of the mist, straight at the statue, about to crush it. However, a light descended from the tree and protected the statue, disintegrating the boulder in its path. From the light emerged the Wood Sprite Sakuya, the spirit of the sacred tree.

"How troublesome!" she muttered, looking sadly at the destruction the beast's curse had caused. "This is just like the ancient prophecy of doom." She paused to turn to the statue of Shiranui, the wolf who had long ago protected Kamiki Village from Orochi. "What has transpired to bring about such calamity? We must act quickly! There is no time to lose! My power has diminished over the years I've spent protecting this area. I don't have much time left in this world." Drawing a circle in the air and calling upon her power, Sakuya summoned a divine instrument before her. "Amaterasu, now is the time. We have never needed your power more. Shine your divine light upon this broken and polluted world. Let your heavenly rays become our hope as you guide us all!" She uttered these words more as a prayer than a simple statement, begging for help and guidance in these dark times.

Releasing the divine instrument, it flew skywards before returning and attaching itself to the statue of Shiranui which immediately burst to life, the pure white wolf with crimson markings that was the form I took now standing where the statue had been. I roared once, announcing my return to the mortal world then shook off the last tingling remnants of my one hundred year slumber. I leapt off the dais upon which I rested and stood before Sakuya.

"Ah! Such divine white light! Such beauty and grace!" Sakuya's voice showed pure reverence towards me as I stood before her. "The only one capable of such a wondrous spectacle is none other than our mother and the origin of all that is, Amaterasu!" I looked around as she spoke, inspecting my surroundings, taking note of the darkness enveloping the world. It was the same as five hundred years ago, though my memory of the time and everything preceding it was fuzzy. "How delightful to see that the saviour whose brave sacrifice sealed away the evil demon so many years ago has not changed one bit." I sat down in front of Sakuya, waiting for her to finish with her praise and continue on to the reason she had awakened me. "Seeing you emerge after so many years spent as a statue brings happiness to my heart!" She sniffed, her happiness overwhelming her. I yawned and settled down on the ground, trying to give her the hint that I would like her to continue.

"Amaterasu..." she said finally. "Gaze above you and take in the condition of the sky. Since your untimely departure from our midst, the world has succumbed to devious and vicious beasts. They have ravaged our fine and bountiful country of Nippon..." Sadness coloured her voice as she explained the state of the land. "But never have the circumstances been worse than they are at this very moment. Please use your powers to banish the darkness and punish those who would do us harm."

I was still laying on the ground, having found it quite comfortable after being stuck in stone for one hundred years, when Sakuya began to jiggle around a little. "Hm?" She moved a little more. "Eh? What is this? Has something stolen its way into my robe?" Now this caught my attention. I looked up to see the wood sprite rummaging through her pink robs, as if trying to find something. She began to giggle as whatever had found its way into her clothing began to tickle.

From between her breasts a little green thing that looked vaguely familiar in shape and size emerged and fell to the ground. "Phew! What on earth?" Sakuya looked down at the little creature. "You again?" she said, seeming to recognize it.

The thing rolled on the ground before popping up and began jumping up and down. It startled me so much I leapt to my feet and took a fighting stance, growling at the strange creature. "Ow ow ow ow ow!" it yelled. "Are you nuts? Boy, for a little thing, you sure make a big fuss! I was just tryin' to make the conversation a bit more interesting, that's all."

"Were you napping in my cloths again, bug?" she asked.

"Bug? I told you a thousand times not to call me that! I'm a wandering artist. The name's Issun! I'll show you just how great I am and it won't be long till you're bowing before my great brush!" Seemingly out of nowhere, the creature brought out a scroll, opened it and tossed it on my face. It was an image of Sakuya. I had to admit, it was rather good. Had the little bug drawn it himself. The paper slid off my face and Issun continued to speak. "Well, whaddya think?" he asked. "Even cuter than the real thing, no?"

The little bug began to bounce towards me then around me as I tried to follow it with my gaze, which proved difficult once it hopped up on my nose. I continued to growl at it; I was not used to having little bouncing creatures making their home on my face. "What's with you, furball? You look kinda down in the dumps. Actually..." he said, inspecting me carefully. "You look kinda familiar... Got it!" he said suddenly. "You look just like that statue of Shiranui!"

Turning my head, I caught the little bouncing bug in my mouth. However, he tasted repulsive so I immediately spat him back out. "Whoa!" he yelled, the green aura surrounding him turning red. "Whaddya think you're doin'! Are you crazy? A handsome guy like me should never be covered in wolf slobber! You'll regret messin' with the great Issun!" He stopped bouncing and unsheathed the sword he was wearing on his hip. "Don't make me use my prized sword, Denkomaru against you!"

Before anyone had a chance to speak again a roar so deep I could feel it through my paws reverberated through the air. I looked up as the swirling blackness increased in speed and ferocity. "Wh-Wh-What's that growling sound?" Issun had leapt up from the ground onto my nose again, seeking some form of comfort. "And why's it so dark, anyway?"

"O, great god Amaterasu..." Sakuya spoke again, her voice growing frail and weak. "I've used all the power I have to protect Kamiki Village. The village lives on. Their spirits lie encased in my fruit. Cut it free, and the village will be reborn!"

I stared at her a moment. Uuuh, cut? Had she not realized that when I died one hundred years ago all of my brush techniques divided from me?

"I trust in you. I know that you will lead us down the right path. Only your awesome power can restore life to the world." The manifestation of Sakuya's spirit disappeared as I looked to the withered tree that was her and saw a single plump fruit.

"The tree's returned to normal, huh?" Issun said. "That Sakuya girl sure said some weird stuff. The villagers' spirits are being kept inside the fruit... That's the fruit. That girl said that if you cut it down, the village will be restored. But it's awfully high up there. If you don't use some kind of special power, there's no way you're gonna reach it." The little bug paused, surveying the darkness. "This darkness is really gettin' to me, too. A lot can happen while you're taking a nap."

I sighed to myself, realizing that Issun was probably going to stick with me. Well, hopefully he would prove useful, and besides, his presence was oddly comforting, familiar. Shaking off the feeling, I looked to the base of the tree and noticed an opening, glowing with divine light. I took one step forwards and my paws remembered the way as I carried on into the opening. I knew I was supposed to be cutting down the fruit encasing the villagers spirits, but that wasn't going to happen until I attained some of my brush techniques.

What a state the world was in. How much could have happened in one hundred years? The evil darkness blanketing the world felt chillingly familiar; not a good thing. Had the great beast been revived? It couldn't be. Nagi had sealed it away after my passing using Tsukuyomi in the Moon Cave after my body had died but before my spirit began to rest. I guess, in the end, it didn't matter; the world was once again in danger and it was my duty to protect it.

"Where are we?" Issun asked as we emerged into a place that seemed to be an entirely new land. "It got awfully quiet all of a sudden. I don't remember any place like this in the village." _You wouldn't, since we were no longer in the village._ "Well, we better keep our eyes peeled."

Moving forwards at a slow pace, a structure that looked like a mirror eventually came into our view. Strangely, it was something I didn't recognize. "That's an Origin Mirror!" Issun cut in suddenly. "They say once your reflection appears on its surface your memories will be stored in the mirror for all eternity!"

Well would you look at that; the little bug was proving to be useful. I paused a moment at the mirror, debating whether to use it or not, but continued on. After we crossed the bridge, we were faced with a high cliff topped by a red wooden fence. Not a problem, of course. I backed up a ways, to give myself some room. I ran forwards, picking up speed and leapt just before I reached the cliff face. Halfway to the top, I placed my paws on the rough rock, red leaves and small green plants erupting in bloom around me, and pushed myself the rest of the way up through the air. As I landed on the soft grass at the top of the cliff, I felt a surge of triumph; I needed to try out all of my skills after my long slumber.

"Holy smoke!" Issun exclaimed. "That was one sweet wall jump ya did there! They say, 'Good luck is found in high places.' So, keep your eyes peeled we don't wanna miss any treasure." _What good does treasure do a god?_

_Well,_ I thought again, looking at a treasure chest sitting nearby, _it certainly couldn't hurt._ Using my snout I pried the lid off and was rewarded with a Holy Bone. I grinned in pleasure at the sight of the bone. These were my favourite snacks; they always seemed to fill me with fresh energy. I grabbed the bone and stored it for future use. Where did I hide it, you ask? Well, that's my secret.

I moved forward again at a steady pace until I reached a bridge that was almost completely destroyed. "Looks like the bridge is out," Issun said. Wow, how did he manage to deduce that? He must be a real genius or something. "This shouldn't be so hard, um... Amaterasu, was it? That's kinda long. Mind if I call ya 'Ammy'?" I was about to shake my head in protest, but realized that I didn't mind the name too much, so I let him continue speaking. "Listen, Ammy... Ever heard of the spirits of the brush? Good brushwork has its own soul, 'least that's what they say. Just watch. It'd take all day to explain... A picture's worth a thousand words, right?"

What, so this little bug was going to use a celestial brush technique to repair the bridge? I didn't think it likely. After all, even one technique was difficult to master. Of course, out of all of them, Rejuvenation, the one required to repair something like this, was probably the easiest for a mortal to master. But still; this little bug seemed hardly capable.

It was then that I swallowed my words. Taking out his brush, Issun made swift work of using Rejuvenation to fix the broken bridge. I stared, somewhat in awe, as Issun began to speak again. "Nice, huh? Just a little technique I've mastered called Rejuvenation. It's one of many brush techniques that use divine power. It's a brush god power that can restore broken or missing things. I've practiced really hard just to master this one technique. But there are thirteen! Each one is a power of one of the thirteen brush gods. Originally, all twelve were a single powerful deity." Really? Her name couldn't have been Amaterasu, could it? Like mine? "When the deity died, its power was split into thirteen separate gods. The gods now dwell within objects all around us, but... God or no god, how could anyone have the power to master all thirteen!"

Easy; by being the original deity.

I sighed though. What had become of my children, the brush gods? I could feel their presence, but only faintly. It was barely a glimmer of their former strength that seeped into my conscious. Determination steeled my mind then; I would free all of my children and unleash their beauty back into the world.

I continued to walk calmly through this alternate Cave of Nagi until a separate trail split off to the right. A shrine seemed to be erected there. It seemed so familiar to me, though I knew I had never been there before. My heart swelled as I realized it must be one of the lost brush gods. As I neared the gate, Issun's attention was grabbed by a stone labelling the area. It read "River of the Heavens." I stopped and looked out to the little splash that lay between the two islands floating in the sky.

"The River of the Heavens? They mean the fabled stardust river? But I sure don't see anything like that around here. It couldn't be that little puddle over there, could it?" Sadly, I believe that was all that was left of the River. Something had caused the flowing stardust to dry up.

Tearing my attention away from the shrunken river, I continued through the gate to the cliff at the end of the trail. "Wow!" Issun exclaimed. "Look at the stars twinkle! I haven't seen such a beautiful nighttime sky in ages. Hey, look!" He pointed up to a constellation forming in the sky. "Are those stars forming a pattern, or is it just me? Hmm... There's one missing... Guess I'll just have to draw the missing star!"

Issun then took out his brush and attempted to paint in the missing star at the head of the constellation. I knew it wouldn't work, but I was already starting to admire his determination. "Bah..." he grumbled when it didn't work. "Looks like I'm just not ready to draw missing stars."

I smiled to myself; I knew one of the brush gods hid within that constellation. Using my own brushwork, I drew in the missing star. Suddenly the sky burst into light, the constellation of a dragon clearly formed in the sky. Now a real dragon detached itself from the stars and descended towards us. Half of its body was still a drawing on a scroll but the flesh and scales I could see were as white as my own fur with matching crimson markings. He held four glowing, coloured orbs in his four hands. As he looked down at me, now sitting in a land of celestial meeting, our bond once again began to strengthen and the love in his face shone through.

"Ah... Why, if it isn't mother Amaterasu." His voice was deep but peaceful, holding a great amount of wisdom. "I apologize for not contacting you sooner during these long years. Having never forgotten you, I, Yomigami, god of restoration, have eagerly awaited this day when we could again meet. While you were away, the thirteen spirits of the brush that you once possessed, including myself, have been scattered across this land of men, and now lie in disarray." Hearing Yomigami speak of my children in their current state nearly broke my heart, but I allowed him to continue. "I became a constellation and managed to survive until now. The time has come for you to seek out and reunite all the techniques. Your power is what is needed to restore the dried riverbed of the heavens and renew the flow of stardust."

Yomigami bowed his head to me before a flash of light engulfed him and he took the form of the sign of rejuvenation. Pausing a brief moment in the air, the sign flew towards me before entering my body, restoring one of my thirteen brush techniques. I could feel the power of rejuvenation flow through me as Yomigami finally returned to me.

"Wow!" Issun burst out. I realized that we were back in the alternate Cave of Nagi, staring at the star studded sky. "That was Yomigami, the god of Rejuvenation! Wait... So you have the power of Rejuvenation now! Can you really use it to restore the River of the Heavens? That would mean you were as good with a brush as your truly!" I snorted. _As good? I invented the brush techniques little bug. _Not being able to understand me, or maybe it was because I hadn't spoken it aloud, the little bug continued on. "Nah... It couldn't be true. Who else could master this incredible god technique!" I would give him this, Issun certainly had confidence, and strangely, his over-the-top arrogance was amusing.

Well, back to the task at hand. Now that Rejuvenation had been restored to me, I should be able to restore the stardust river. Turning around I made my way steadily down the hill until I stood on the shore of the River of the Heavens. "Wonder if drawing some stardust would get the river flowing again?" Issun mused aloud. Or maybe to me, I wasn't really paying attention. "Nah... It's one thing to fix a bridge, but fixing a starry river? There's no way you could pull off a stunt like that!"

If I had been capable, I would have smiled. _Watch and learn little bug._ Using my brush and the skill of Rejuvenation, I made quick work of restoring the river. As the ink fell away a river of stardust took its place. "Whoa! A river of stardust!" Issun burst out again, mirroring my own thoughts. "So this really must be the River of the Heavens. But what I really wanna know is who the heck drew the darn thing!"

I was stunned for a moment before remembering that Issun couldn't actually see my brushwork. That was one of the perks of being a god; you got to be anonymous. Well, it was a perk most of the time. Sometimes, even gods like to gloat. Anonymity made that a little more difficult.

Hopping into the river, I swam through the stardust to the other side, where another gate awaited me. So did a few more jars and treasure chests. I was starting to develop an affinity for treasure it would seem. In the chest sitting in the centre of the area was an Astral Pouch, quite a find. The energy from food I collected would be stored in the pouch and, if ever I needed it, would be transferred to me. A very handy device, really. Collecting the last of the treasures, I proceeded through the gate to continue on my way through the alternate Cave of Nagi.

On the other side of this new gate was a path that climbed steadily upwards, running parallel to a river. Trees and boulders lined the path and dotted the small islands spattered throughout the river. Further up, I could hear a waterfall and I could just see it in the distance. As I moved up the path I could see that the waterfalls didn't feed the river as I had thought, but descended down into the distance through the clouds.

Eventually I came to a bridge with a sign in front of it. The sign deemed the area the 'Fountain of Nagi'. I took a quick look around and didn't really see anything of interest. There was an island in the water with a treasure chest, but I just ignored it. I hate water. Looking back at the sign, Issun finally got to reading it. "Nagi?" he wondered aloud. "What's his name doing here?"

Since I knew about as much as he did, I just continued on. Across the bridge was yet another gate, though I could see what lay beyond this one; a set of steep stairs cut into the stone. At the top of the stairs we finally reached our destination. The entrance to the Cave of Nagi was open and inside I could see it was far larger than the original. When I entered the cave, the entrance closed behind me. It didn't matter; I could feel the presence of another brush god.

When Issun caught sight of Nagi's statue, his jaw dropped. At least I assumed it did, since he was too small for me to actually tell. "Is this... Is this the legendary shrine? We must be in the Cave of Nagi! The legendary hero Nagi is enshrined here! He vanquished evil one hundred years ago with the help of the white wolf, Shiranui!" I sighed. Good times. "First the River of the Heavens and now this place... Where the heck are we, furball?" He was silent for a moment as he took in his surroundings. "Boy, this place is a wreck," he said finally. "See? That sword's in really bad shape. The gods didn't do much to protect this place."

_It wasn't as if we had much of a choice, what with us being sealed away and all._ Though he was right; the entire place was in disarray. I looked up to Nagi's broken sword, remembering it's true glory in battle, and decided to restore it. Using Rejuvenation I quickly painted in the sword and restored it to how it should be.

"That really WAS your brushwork all this time!" Issun said, looking between me and the statue. "How'd you get so good? Exactly who are you, anyway?" I sighed. Hadn't he heard Sakuya calling me Amaterasu? If the wood sprite existed, was it that much of a stretch to believe I was _the_ Amaterasu?

Above us the starlight intensified and filtered down to us through the cave's open roof. "Hey, there's another constellation! This one looks like a..." I tuned him out, intent on restoring another brush god to this world.

Once again, there was a flash of light and a mouse detached itself from the stars. He wore a sword and a scabbard and as his paws touched the ground he unsheathed the sword and showed off his skills. When he was done with the display he perched on the hilt, the tip resting on the ground and he balanced that way in front of me. It was the rending god, Tachigami.

"Well, well, well... If it isn't mother Amaterasu." Tachigami's face radiated the same love as Yomigami and his voice was a high pitched, squeaky version of the dragon gods. "It's been a long time. But with all these monsters around, the only place I could hide was in this shrine dedicated to ancient heroes. If there is anything I can do to assist you in your endeavours, I'm at your service. Make good use of this sword, as it was designed to conquer evil." As with Yomigami, Tachigami bowed his head before becoming the sign of power slash and entering my body. I could now feel the strength of the Power Slash at my disposal.

"Hey, that was the god, Tachigami, master of the Power Slash technique. Wait a minute. If you're getting all these powers... Then you're just like that Shiranui!" _Yep. Just like._ "You know, the wolf who fought and died alongside the great Nagi. When Shiranui died, the wolf's power was split into the thirteen brush gods. This is crazy." The little bug was really starting to freak out. "Shiranui and Nagi? It's just like the legend. Well, anyway, I've never seen this Power Slash technique myself." He looked around, trying to locate a suitable test subject. "How 'bout showing your stuff off on that boulder over there? Lemme see you slice it in half! I won't believe it till I see it!"

Looks like my anonymity was gone, not that I minded in this case. It would be nice to get a little appreciation for once; people's faith in the gods had slowly been diminishing. Using my brushwork, I drew a line across the boulder, neatly slicing it in half. "Wow!" Issun sounded truly impressed. "I didn't think you had it in ya, furball." I rolled my eyes. _Thank you for your vote of confidence._ "I'm not even in the same league as you! Guess I really overestimated myself." Now he sounded down and I immediately felt bad. I was a god; who was he to compare himself to me. In the realm of mortals, he was actually quite talented. Not that many people could master even Rejuvenation.

"Hey, furball..." he said after a moment of silence. "Er... I mean, Amaterasu... I've made up my mind! If you're Shiranui reborn, then that means you can master all thirteen techniques, right? In that case, I think I'll tag along until I'm as good as you!" Lucky you!" I sighed. _Yeah, lucky me,_ though I didn't put much conviction into the though. I shook myself and whined, trying to throw him from his position atop my head. "Heh heh... It's no use tryin' to change my mind. There's no stoppin' me once I've made a decision! But enough about me! Now that you've mastered the Power Slash, you can cut down that thing Sakuya was talking about. Let's go back and give it a shot!"

I wasn't able to sense any more brush gods in the area, so I figured I was finished here. Issun was right; it was time to return to Sakuya's tree and free the souls of the villagers sealed inside the fruit. With the aide of the Power Slash brush technique, it should prove a simple matter. Turning my back to the statue of Nagi, I realized the gate to the cave had closed behind us. Once again, it would just be a simple matter of using Power Slash. Summoning my Celestial Brush, I sliced through the gate and retraced my steps.

At the bottom of the stairway near the fountain of Nagi, We encountered a slight hiccup in our progress. Two imps leapt out of the bushes, intending to ambush me. I sighed. It was a wasted effort. Even weakened as I was from my long slumber and the lack of most of my brush techniques, I still had plenty of strength to deal with them. They were merely Green Imps, and thus would be easy to defeat.

Lowering myself into a crouch, I charged them. The Divine Instrument on my back, known as Divine Retribution, was my weapon of choice. I had several stronger weapons, including rosaries, glaives, and several other reflectors, but at the moment I was not in possession of them. Divine Retribution would be more than enough to handle them anyways. Using the reflector, I attacked the imps until their strength failed them and they burst in to flower blossoms, gently raining down the the newly battle-scarred earth. The ruined ground was distressing, but there was something even more pressing at the moment; this was sacred ground. Demons should not be able to enter this area. Nonetheless, here they were, lying in wait for me. The serpents power mus be growing.

I shook my head, clearing my mind of these thoughts, and turned my attention back to matter at hand. I was about a quarter of the way back to the entrance of this alternate cave, so I put on a burst of speed. As I ran, flowers and grass bloomed in my wake and the wind rushed through my fur. Issun had remained silent since we left the cave with Nagi's statue. Or maybe he had been talking and I just wasn't paying attention; either way, we were almost back now.

We were attacked once more on the way, but we made it without incident. When we passed the Origin Mirror, I decided to give it a try. It couldn't hurt, anyways. As I stared into the mirror, my eyes unfocused, until I was looking at the mirror again, though this time instead of seeing my reflection, I saw myself passing the Fountain of Nagi, then again in front of the statue. _Huh. Looks like it actually works._ Not giving it much more thought than that, I exited the sacred lands.

Stepping out from the base of the tree, I looked to the sky to see it exactly the same as when I left. It was almost as if time hadn't passed while inside the sacred lands. If I had shoulders, I would have shrugged them. Glancing up to the large, plump fruit hanging off of one of the branches, I made swift work of using Power Slash to cut it down.

As the fruit hit the ground, it burst open in a shower of multicoloured leaves. From inside, a wave of flowers, more leaves and life burst forth, sweeping away the cursed darkness that had covered the land and restoring everything to it's life filled state. However, something still seemed off.

"Wow! The village's been restored!" Issun looked around in awe. "Sakuya came through big time! She really was protecting the village! But I sure wish I could spent some more time in her kimono, if ya know what I mean! Heh heh heh heh heh!" Oh did I. Being locked in stone for the past one hundred years had left me feeling a little... wanting. Issun began to speak again, this time a little more seriously. "But seriously, with monsters runnin' around and all... the village could still be in danger. Let's go see how they're all doing down there"

The little bug was right; I hadn't even thought of the monsters that could still be causing havoc in the village. Maybe I was getting a little rusty. Descending the tree lined path I soon came upon a clearing with two paths branching off. One was stone steps leading up to what appeared to be a lookout, while the other was another tree lined path that dropped off one side into the lake and lead down to the village. Near one wall of the clearing was a stone statue of what appeared to be a monk playing a small wooden flute. It was a strange place for a strange statue. Something didn't seem right about it though. It was too... life-like, and there was a strange energy surrounding it.

"What in the world?" Issun muttered when he saw the statue. "I don't remember there being a statue here... Well, whatever. Let's go talk to the villagers!" I felt a sinking feeling begin to grow in my gut and hastened my way to the village. I ran down the path, this time paved in stone and noticed the trees on my right were completely withered. I would have loved to have made them bloom, but without the appropriate brush technique, I wouldn't be able to do anything.

When I reached the village I saw several more stone statues standing in various places in the village, but not a single person. I couldn't even sense anyone; all I could sense was the strange energy surrounding the statues. I walked up to one of a woman standing in a field with a basket on her head. I looked as if she had just finished harvesting and was about to return to her dwelling with her spoils.

"Hey, there's a statue here, too..." He was starting to sound worried now, feeling something was amiss. "It's like the villagers have turned to stone or something..." His thought was punctuated with another roar from the distance, shaking the earth beneath my paws. "Not again!" Issun groaned. "That's not one of those smaller monsters that're lurking about. A roar like that's gotta belong to somethin' much bigger. Let's hurry up and find somebody with a pulse around here!" I agreed that we should try and find someone living, but I doubted we would be successful. It was as if all the villagers had been turned to stone.


End file.
